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Letter: Rush to normalcy doesn't guarantee it

As we know, Gov. Tim Walz has let the stay-at-home order expire and replaced those orders with social distancing guidelines with dates for re-openings small businesses, bars, and restaurants etc. This re-opening does help people who have been furloughed and people with social plans during the summer months. This re-opening also comes at a time when cases and deaths from COVID-19 are still increasing and the peak of this wave of the pandemic is going to occur around July 1.

The CDC guidelines state states should re-open when there have been decreases in cases and deaths over a 14-day period. Minnesota and other states have opened before the peak. I am not downplaying the economic problems that we face, like record unemployment and record permanent job losses, but the COVID-19 pandemic is a double-edged sword. There will be more infections and deaths but also more job losses regardless of how fast we open things up.

I am not a fan of re-opening everything up when we are still having infections and fatalities rising each day, especially when there are people who will not social distance and wear face masks when out in public. I just find it foolish to assume people will follow these new guidelines given by Gov. Tim Walz as a plan for re-opening. When these places start opening up, I am afraid we will see an accelerated number of infections, ICU overflows and fatalities.

I hope I am wrong, but there will be a second and/or third wave of this pandemic this fall and winter months.